The heathen had made his way out of the dry and cracked West of Alacritia through mostly aimless wandering, although now his route drifted closer and closer to that mountain he’d first found Lirika in. It was magnetic; he did not consciously want to go there, but he had nothing else to do and so each thoughtless step took him closer… If anything, he specifically didn’t want to go, for he disdained the hope that he harbored that she might be there waiting for him. He knew it was so unlikely, so why did he still hope? He hated hope.

A gruff sigh rolled from wrinkled jowls, his forehead crinkled and pricked with the irritation of his previous realization. As if in half-hearted attempt to defy the inevitable pull towards Fenrir’s Maw, Svetovid would turn from his general path to head towards the smell of water. He needed a drink anyways. Up ahead cattails bobbed at the edge of a sandy shore. It looked… nice, actually. The afternoon sun shimmered of the dark, sprawling surface of the lake. There was a slight breeze, and the air was warm. The pale wolf paused some several yards from the lake, stared at it for a moment as if he expected something to jump out and assault him, and then proceeded forward having decided that it was alright.

The sand felt good under his toes as he walked to the edge, dipping only his front feet in a tad before bending down to drink. The water was cool and quenched his thirst in a matter of a few laps. He straightened, and glanced across the lake from the new viewpoint. No longer partially hidden by the cattails and foliage, he could see that it was quite big. Bugs chirped from the grass, but the birds were quiet. It was a fairly calm, peaceful day and beyond how much he detested being anything other than sullen and cynical, he enjoyed the tranquility of it all.

It'd been awhile since she'd left Fiori. Existence there was comfortable, and safe; it was infinitely rewarding to know that she had left Leo a legacy of his own. Though she knew it was not the grandest of Kingdoms, not like the kind that she had dreamed of ruling over when she had been but a child, but it was more than most could boast - he had family and friends who loved and protected one another. What more could anyone ask for? The possibility of power and glory had been tempting once, but those days had been left far in the past.

Today, for the first time in awhile, she left the lands claimed by Fiori that she had grown so comfortable in. The stifling summer weather was slowly fading, giving way to cooler temperatures that she definitely favored. Her paws brought her north of her home, her journey initially winding along the river that seemed to flow endlessly through the lands. This was the very same river that she'd known when she'd ruled over Seracia. A constant source of life - it reminded her of so many things she longed to forget. Her paws moved quietly as the sun dried off the last of the water that clung to her pelt after crossing the river. The chill in the air was undeniable, but she felt warmth flooding her body as she increased her pace, moving through the thicket at a steady pace.

Shaking her coat one last time to attempt to dry it the best she could, her nostrils would flare as she tasted the scents here. This place was rather familiar to her. She had lived here once, briefly, under Raisa's rule. Memories flooded her mind's eye, an inaudible sigh slipping from her lips as she continued onward. It was difficult to truly move on, to forget what she had known for so many years.

Her blue stare would focus on the earth as she moved, finally lifting her head after a moment of careful thought to focus on the horizon. First she noticed the cattails and tall grasses that surrounded the lake, before noticing the lake itself. Her hurried pace would slow slightly as she drew closer, feeling suddenly quite parched. Her mouth was suddenly dry and the prospect of water was quite tempting. Noting the scent of another in the vicinity, but not yet seeing him, she would lope forward to the water's edge. Dipping her skull to the water, she began to dink greedily for a moment before bothering to lift her gaze. In the distance, at the other side, she caught glimpse of a stranger with pale fur. Curious, she would trail along the lake's edge and make her way closer to the man, head dipping in quiet greeting as she closed the vast distant that separated them.

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His flat gray stare skated across the glassy surface of the lake a moment longer, feeling the pleasing smoothness with his eyes. Then he exhaled gently and sat down on the ground. He briefly looked down at his forepaws, digging his toes into the sand and watching as the miniscule particles trickled across the white furs on his feet. He fell still again, and sat there, his head hung down and his unblinking stare fixed to the same spot, but no longer focused on anything in particular. The focus through which he saw the world gradually receded back into his skull, back into the wispy state of his current thoughts. It was like fog. There were things drifting about in his head, he knew, but none he could grasp. He just couldn’t think about anything right now. And for the most part, that was great.

When he glanced back up, he saw a figure across the lake. He blinked, faintly curious, and watched as it disappeared. Oh. He zoned out for another minute or so until his ears perked and he glanced to the side. Someone was there. The same someone he had perhaps seen across the lake? Maybe. His colorless eyes sought the stranger’s face, his head tilting slightly as he looked her over, sure she was coming towards him now. A lightly-colored wolf, plain, but owner of some of the prettiest blue eyes he’d ever seen. He caught himself before he stared too long. The other dipped their head down in greeting, and Svetovid blinked, his face expression mostly stony, but faintly interested. ”… Hi,” he said, the slightest of frowns twitching on his lips at his own ineloquence. Oh boy. Was this wolf going to talk to him?

Epiphron wasn't at all opposed to company. With age, it seemed as though she found herself longing for company outside of her family. She felt slightly interest in this man, though he was but a stranger - and that interest shone in her sapphire gaze as it focused in on him as he moved closer. He had a slightly intimidating aura about him, but not necessarily one that made her want to abandon the lakeside. Instead, she felt intrigued, though her posture stiffened instinctively as he moved closer. Her tail would slacken behind her, head dipping toward the earth.

He stared for a long moment as he moved forward, and she returned the stare silently. His greeting was a somber one, and her lips would twitch as the fought the urge to frown in return. "Hello," she offered back, dual-hued ears flicking as she waited for more words from him. "Lovely day to sit by the lake, no?" ...or perhaps he was just thirsty, or looking for fish. Either way, it seemed a fitting way to start a conversation, and she would halt her movement to recline on her haunches and gaze at him curiously.

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The wolf spoke back, her voice a feminine, pretty one. She’d offer an observation, and he would nod. ”Yes,” his voice collided gently with the tranquil atmosphere – gravel on satin. She sat down nearby, and he glanced at her with his head ever so slightly tilted, and an ear tipped down with uncertainty. Just the very beginning of silence started to trickle in, and he suddenly felt desperate to shoo it off. What to say?! My name is… What brings you here? Know anyone named Lirika? He staggered through potential encouragements to conversation. He decided all of them were pretty crappy. ”Uhh…” Damn, it was so much easier to snap and make sure no one wanted to come near him anyways.

But he didn’t want to do that now. He hesitated a moment after his sound of unsureness, and then realized her scent. She smelled of a group, a pack. ”I’m not getting too close to intruding anywhere, am I?” he asked, turning his head to face her more. He wasn’t sure if he really cared about trespassing or getting uncomfortably close (for them at least) to a pack territory, or if he was just looking to shake the awkward nothingness from his lips.

There was something slightly strange about this man. He seemed wary and withdrawn - and while she was not necessarily the most inviting creature in the world, he was about as far from it as one could get. Still, he had the freedom to turn and leave, to ignore her entirely - but something kept him here. Muttering a single word, before falling into silence. And yet something kept her here too. In this man's quiet uncertainty, he seemed wildly mysterious; a glimpse of newness in this familiar world, and at this familiar lake.  Her nose wrinkled briefly, though at his question she shook her head to the side gently.

"Not at all," Epiphron would answer, the ghost of a smile fluttering over her lips before a more curious look overtook her features. "Am I intruding? On your afternoon, I mean." Was she always so polite? The awkwardness was palpable and she wanted to shake it just as badly as he did. Happy to break the silent glances, she dipped her head to the water and gulped down a few more swallows of water. "I'm Epiphron," she'd finally introduce herself when she glanced at him again, lapping the water from her lips.

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She reassured him with a faint smile, and he felt a bit better. Her own concern soon followed after, and he was surprised. How could anyone care about that? It wasn’t like he belonged here more than anyone else (although in another situation, he might’ve very well thought the opposite), so why ought she worry about bothering him in his little selected space? He never gave much consideration to strangers, so receiving such from someone else was an odd notion. He shook his head, ”Nope. Nothing important going on here.”

He blinked, briefly watching as she went to take a drink of water. After she finished, she’d introduce herself, and the pale brute began to feel more comfortable. ”Svetovid,” he dipped his head slightly. The stiff neutrality on his harsh features began to seep away, giving way to faint interest. ”You live around here?” he asked, shifting his weight where he sat. The question came easier, although the increasing ease of conversation went unnoticed by Svetovid.

She was growing too old to purposefully wander into trouble, or to upset anyone for no reason. Though proud, she was not stupid, and certainly not reckless. If this stranger had told he to leave, or even implied he might prefer her presence elsewhere - she'd be happy to wander off away from him. "Good," she'd respond simply. There was nothing wrong with sharing an afternoon with someone.. even if he was hardly more than a stranger, and even if they weren't doing much more than sitting and exchanging small talk.

He offered his name, and her lips curled slightly in another faint smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Svetovid," Epiphron would speak honestly. Though he was not a particularly warm wolf to meet, he seemed to becoming slowly more comfortable, his words flowing with much more ease now. "I live quite a distance south of here, near the coast," she would admit with a hint of solemnity. "Though I called these lands home for a time, too. What about you?" her head would tilt as she regarded him with a curious gaze.

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